with Blockbuster Movies & Shows from Netflix to Prime
By Memrise Content Team
Ready to jazz up your Italian with some screen magic? Netflix, Prime, YouTube — you name it, we've scoured the best of the best streaming spots for Italian flicks that are too good to miss. Say 'ciao' to bland learning methods and 'buongiorno' to classics like "Il Postino" and hidden gems like "Mine Vaganti". We're all about mixing learning with pleasure, and our lineup is a primo spot for anyone looking to soak up Italian while chilling with some quality entertainment.
With our cherry-picked list featuring the charm of "Ladri di biciclette" and the modern vibes of "Sotto il sole di Riccione", you're in for a full-blown Italian cultural feast. These aren't just any movies and shows; they're your new Italian pals, ready to chat you up with the real-deal lingo as you get lost in the stories.
Who said learning Italian can't be a blast? Whether you're here to boost your language chops or you just love a good film, these streaming treasures are the talk of the town for a reason. By the time you're done bingeing, you'll not only have a stash of cool Italian lines up your sleeve but also a better ear for the lingo. Kick off your "Italian movies to learn" spree with us, and who knows? You might just fall in love with a new cinematic crush.
Synopsis: Set in Italy during World War II, the film tells the story of a Jewish Italian, Guido Orefice, who uses his fertile imagination to shield his son from the horrors of internment in a Nazi concentration camp. The film is a poignant tale of love and sacrifice.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
The dialogue is simple yet profound, which helps in understanding everyday Italian as well as some historical and cultural references.
Guido's playful use of language provides a creative way to learn Italian idioms and expressions.
Watch the "La Vita È Bella, Kitchen Scene" and learn the words with Memrise
Synopsis: This film is a fictional story about the real-life Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and his relationship with a simple Italian postman who learns to love poetry while delivering mail to the poet. A beautiful story of friendship and the love of words unfolds.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
Features slowly spoken Italian that is easy to follow for learners, with clear enunciation that aids in comprehension.
It offers an immersion into the Italian language through poetry, which can be a powerful tool for learning and understanding the nuances of the language.
Synopsis: The film is a biographical account of Peppino Impastato, a political activist who opposed the Mafia in Sicily. The title refers to the number of steps it takes to get from his house to the house of the local Mafia boss.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
The film presents a variety of Italian dialects, which are great for learners to get familiar with the diversity of Italian spoken across different regions.
Dialogues often involve political and social issues, providing context for more advanced vocabulary and expressions related to Italian society and history.
Synopsis: This nostalgic film centers around Salvatore, a successful film director who returns home for the funeral of his old friend Alfredo, who was the projectionist at the local Cinema Paradiso where Salvatore fell in love with film-making. It’s a tribute to the cinema itself and features a montage of cinema kisses.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
The film uses a mix of Sicilian dialect and standard Italian, offering learners an understanding of regional differences.
The emotional and evocative dialogue is complemented by visual storytelling, which aids in language comprehension through context.
Already watched one of these films? Practice talking about what you learnt with MemBot!
Synopsis: This film is a unique tale that blends time periods and genres. It follows Lazzaro, a kind and naive young peasant, who, after an encounter with a nobleman, finds himself involved in a tale of exploitation and inequality bridging decades.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
The narrative requires attentive listening and interpretation, which challenges and thus improves listening skills.
Features colloquial language and the rural dialect, providing a good exercise in understanding and appreciating the richness of Italian linguistic diversity.
Synopsis: This contemporary romantic comedy follows a group of teenagers as they meet and form friendships and romantic relationships during their summer vacation in Riccione. It’s a story about love and friendship with the sunny Italian beach as the backdrop.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
The language used is modern and current, reflecting the way young people speak in Italy today.
The dialogues are filled with slang and idiomatic expressions, offering a real-life glimpse into conversational Italian.
Synopsis: In post-World War II Rome, Antonio Ricci is unemployed but finally gets a job hanging posters. The job requires a bicycle, which his wife Maria pawns their bed linens to reclaim. However, the bicycle is quickly stolen, and Antonio and his young son Bruno go on a quest through the city to find it.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
The film's use of Roman dialect and Italian neorealism style offers learners a historical perspective of the Italian language and culture.
The dialogue is sparse and straightforward, which can be especially helpful for beginners focusing on essential vocabulary and sentence structure.
Learn Italian with content based on your interests
Synopsis: Set in Naples, 'Reality' follows the story of Luciano, a charming and affable fishmonger who becomes obsessed with becoming a contestant on the reality show Big Brother, leading to a vibrant examination of celebrity culture and personal identity.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
The film features the Neapolitan dialect, presenting a more challenging but rewarding experience for intermediate Italian learners.
It provides modern cultural context that can help learners understand contemporary Italian society, including the media's influence.
Synopsis: In seaside Italy, a Holocaust survivor with a daycare business, Madame Rosa, takes in 12-year-old street kid Momo, who recently robbed her. The film explores their developing bond as they learn from each other.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
The film includes a mix of Italian and some regional dialects, reflecting Italy's linguistic diversity.
Through the dialogue, learners are exposed to a variety of Italian expressions and vocabulary that pertain to family, relationships, and emotions.
Synopsis: This lighthearted comedy unfolds with the Italian Prime Minister spending his Christmas holidays in Hungary, where a series of comedic and unexpected events occur, including mistaken identity and personal scandals, all in the public eye.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
The film includes contemporary language and current slang, which can be very useful for learners to understand modern conversational Italian.
It showcases political and media-related vocabulary, providing context for more complex language use and phrases.
Synopsis: A classic Italian comedy featuring the famous comedic actor Totò, the story revolves around two brothers who travel from their small town to Milan to stop a relative from marrying a showgirl. The film is known for its slapstick humor and witty dialogue.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
The film is rich in humor and idiomatic expressions, offering learners a deep dive into the playful side of the Italian language.
Totò's iconic way of speaking, full of puns and wordplay, provides a unique opportunity to study a more theatrical and comedic form of language.
Synopsis: This visually stunning film follows Jep Gambardella, a journalist and once-promising novelist, who reflects on his life and Rome's beauty after his 65th birthday. The movie is a critical exploration of life, love, and the decadence of contemporary society.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
Offers rich dialogue with philosophical and literary references, excellent for advanced learners who want to expand their vocabulary and comprehension.
The film's narrative includes a mix of standard Italian and Roman dialect, giving viewers a taste of Italy's linguistic variety.
Synopsis: This film delves into the complexities of relationships and infidelity among a close-knit group of friends and lovers. As they gather for a dinner hosted by a famous composer and his wife, secrets begin to unravel, reflecting the social changes of the late 1960s.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
The dialogue is rich with emotional and psychological depth, suitable for advanced learners to understand more complex sentence structures and vocabulary.
Offers a glimpse into the Italian language's more poetic and expressive facets, enhancing comprehension of metaphorical language.
Synopsis: This film is a colorful and dramatic family saga set in Lecce, Southern Italy. It focuses on the Cantone family, who owns a pasta business, and the coming out of the son, Tommaso, which reveals family secrets and tests their bonds.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
The film features a mix of Italian with a regional Apulian dialect, presenting a linguistic challenge that reflects the true diversity of Italian speech.
The engaging dialogue is filled with humor and drama, offering a range of emotions that help learners with understanding contextual language use.
Synopsis: A life-affirming tale about four friends who work together in a medical practice and decide to take a trip to the south of Spain to escape their routine. The journey, filled with comic mishaps and revelations, reminds them to make the most out of life.
Why It's Good for Learning Italian:
Contains contemporary and conversational Italian, reflecting the way the language is spoken today, which is ideal for learners who want to keep up with modern usage.
The interactions among the characters provide a good range of colloquial phrases and expressions that are frequently used in daily life.
Looking for the best Italian movies to learn Italian? Here are a few tips to help:
Immersive Italian Mastery Via Movies & Shows
Catching the latest Italian hits isn't just about kicking back for a movie marathon — it's diving headfirst into a language bath. When you hit up the best Italian movies on Netflix, especially those with English subs, you’re doing way more than following a plot. You’re letting the Italian language seep in while it's strutting its stuff in its natural scene. As you’re sucked into the drama or cracking up at Italian comedies, your noggin is hard at work, linking words and their uses in bright, unforgettable setups. Language is a context junkie, and flicks from the Italian cinema feed this need beautifully.
Rewind and replay films like "La grande bellezza" or "Lazzaro felice" — some of the hottest Italian titles on streaming platforms — and you'll peel back new layers of language and culture every time. This isn’t just your chill binge-watch; it’s a full-blown tactic to learn Italian by soaking up cinematic vibes. So grab that popcorn, hit the play button, and let the Italian flow — scene by scene, line by line.
Why Italian Movies Are Your Edutainment Fix
Mix a dollop of Italian cinema with a sprinkle of language learning, and you get an edutainment cocktail that’s both thrilling and oh-so-smart. Prime Italian movies do more than just tickle your fancy; they’re your on-demand classroom. With every title, from the heavy-hitters on Prime to the indie darlings, you’re picking up conversational Italian that no textbook can teach.
These flicks, peppered with local slang and cultural quirks, turn every snippet of chit-chat into a chance to learn. And with Italian masterpieces ready to stream from your couch, you’re building bridges between languages, jazzing up your bilingual groove. Whether it’s the heart-tugging pulls of "Il Postino" or the laugh-out-loud moments of "Si vive una volta sola", these shows and movies from YouTube to Prime are your golden ticket to Italian fluency. So why not flip your next movie night into a step towards Italian mastery? With these Italian movies to learn, you’re not just vegging out — you’re upping your game.
Can I learn Italian by watching movies/TV shows?
Totally! Watching the best Italian movies and TV shows is a fab way to supplement your Italian learning journey. It's not a solo gig — you'll want to pair it with structured lessons (Memrise is a great sidekick for that). But films and series give you that cultural zing and conversational context you can't get from textbooks. Just remember, while movies set in Italy can enrich your vocab and listening skills, they're part of a bigger language-learning ensemble.
How much time should I spend watching Italian movies?
It's like asking how many scoops of gelato is just right — it varies! Integrating Italian movies and shows into your daily grind is key, but balance is the secret sauce. A couple of episodes of "La vita davanti a sé" a day? Che bello! Just make it enjoyable, not another task. Keep your watch-list diverse — throw in some 70s Italian movies or the latest Italian movies on Netflix to keep your brain on its toes. And if a movie marathon happens (because, let's be real, it happens), consider it a language immersion day!
Are subtitles helpful?
Subtitles are like your trusty language map when you're exploring new Italian flicks — helpful at first, for sure. They're your best bud in linking spoken Italian to the text, especially when you're starting out. But here's the twist: try to ease off them as you level up. If you stick with Italian subtitles too much, your listening skills might get a bit sluggish. Aim to get comfy with the un-subbed Italian movies on Netflix or free Italian movies on YouTube — that's when you know you're getting the hang of it.
Your Italian Learning Adventure Begins Here...
Captivated by the charm of Italian films and eager to dive into the language? Memrise is your gateway from enjoying cinematic stories to actually living the language. Picture this: a platform that not only helps you learn Italian but envelops you in the cultural richness through the very movies, shows, and clips you adore. This is what Memrise is all about.
Take a look at the Italian video lessons we offer
Memrise takes dynamic scenes from Italian classics and the latest YouTube sensations and transforms them into customized language lessons. This approach transcends traditional learning by breathing life into every dialogue, teaching you to grasp the subtle cultural nuances and heartfelt expressions without relying on subtitles.
Practice speaking Italian with our AI conversations
And Memrise is more than just immersive movie-watching. It's a conversational odyssey. Our AI-driven MemBot is more than a tutor — it's like your chat pal from Rome, ready to converse on-the-fly. No canned responses, just spontaneous, real-world interaction that's as genuine as a chat over espresso. And those little language slip-ups? They're nothing but stepping stones to fluency.
With Memrise, you'll wield the language for everyday life, tailored for any scenario you might encounter, from a spirited debate about "La Dolce Vita" to discussing the latest "Sotto il sole di Riccione". We don't just teach you to memorize; we empower you to engage, interact, and live Italian.
So, let's pack away those tired flashcards. Memrise is your ticket to authentic conversation practice, setting you up for those real-life moments. It's about transforming every 'Ciao' into a doorway to meaningful connections.
Eager to embrace the full Italian experience? Hop on board with Memrise now, and let's make those Italian movie nights a springboard for your language triumphs. Your very first Italian conversation is just a click away. Let the journey begin!
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